That 70s Look

Hello lovelies.

So I am finally getting back into the swing of things. I have so much to share with you. I have been blogging since 2010 and I never quite knew what my motives where with the blog. I've since changed it, tried to end it and come back to it. Blogging for me is an outlet. It allows me to learn new skills, while being creative and sharing what I know.

So I wanted to do a 70s lookbook but on the day of shooting 2 out of the 5 outfits malfunctioned so I decided to simply share the beauty of  the location I was shooting from.I have moved back to Swaziland. The mini lookbook was shot in Malkerns at the Malandela farm. I felt so free doing this and it pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone. It was hot and we were surrounded by grass (I have mild allergy to grass). Running in between sugar cane fields was interesting. The shoot featured my favourite 1970s inspired maxi dress from Wallis and my thrifted Dashiki top from Oxfam.  This post will also feature my new hair colour ( yay me).

What I am hoping for you to take from this post is how to bring the 1970s into 2016 and not look dated.

Look 1: The Maxi dress

A maxi dress with a paisley print will give you an instant 70s look. You can also wear one with an 'ethnic print' or just abstract colours or motifs. My dress had the added kimono sleeves which gives the dress a more authentic 70s feel.  Also do play around with headgear.
 Body jewelry was very big in the 1970s. I went for a smokey eye which you can't see because I sweated it off and a pink lip. Under normal circumstances you should not go for bold lips and bold eyes but the 70s where all about being bold and this makeup look works. You can also try a smokey eye with red or orange lipcolours. Dramatic eye shadow is another thing you can try.
This look would be perfect for a wedding, festival or when you feel whimsical and feminine.

Look 2: Wide leg Jeans

Nothing says the 70s like high waist wide leg jeans. I styled mine two different ways. With a crop top and a dashiki top. To make this look more authentic I added body jewelry and platform shoes. To complete the look wear your hair in an Afro and throw some hoop earrings in the mix. Over sized round or square shaped sunglasses will complete the look.

Photography credits : Tina Mbachu

I enjoyed putting this together. My hoe is that you can learn something from this post. Go forth and get your groove on.

Love and light
Tiwi

A New voice

Faith and Confidence can open more doors than you expect. Believe in yourself. 

Well.. It's good to be back

I had planned to delete my blog and start over. But I just couldn't let go. I have done it before and to be honest the results weren't that different. So much has happened since I last blogged. So many realizations and growth. I feel like a new person.

• I have moved continent. I finally took a leap of faith and moved back to Swaziland. I am not yet sure if this is a permanent thing but I know this is where my heart is at the moment.
• I have a new voice. My old posts where always me second guessing myself and what I was writing about. Now I am more confident that what I will share is all me. Doing it Tiwi style.
• I am sure you have all noticed I changed the blog name to Miss Tiwi. That's because Tiwi's closet is now the name of my brand. I felt that the name had out grown the blog and was no longer relevant. 

Thing's I would like for this new phase in my blogging adventure:

• I need to take on the more challenging ideas. when I started this blog it was to share my personal style and what I know about fashion. I want to that back. I am really going to put time into what I write and do. I owe it to myself. My blog has done so much for me. Even through my own inconsistency it has opened new doors and introduced me to new people. So it's time for me to really create what I want to create.
• You will be seeing more and more posts about natural hair, lipstick , travelling. I may try making videos but that is something I feel I need to give more thought.
• More styling and lookbook posts and the old age OOTD posts.

I am excited but I am also ready to put in the time .

So a bit about the pictures in this post. They were taken by my talented friend Tina. 

Check out her tumblr (www.afrobohemian-nomad.tumblr.com)  and Instagram @afro_boheme. 

We took the pictures in my neighborhood, right outside people's houses and using the old local park. This shoot for me was all about hair, femininity and nature. These pictures instantly made me feel confident and they portray how I feel about my future. You know guys sometimes we know things but knowing and internalizing are two different things. The things I am talking about are faith and confidence.  I call these pictures A refreshing, bolder, fearless change.

I look forward to riding this new wave with you my readers. It promises to be an interesting and fruitful journey.

Wishing you a productive and happy week

Yebo gallery! : Art exhibition

Hello lovelies

No my Swaziland series isn't over yet. I must admit I'm glad I have this to write about. I'm at a stage where I'm thinking about changing my blog and trying many new things with it. I'm starting to feel a bit frustrated with the quality of work I'm putting out and I am ready for a change.

So while I was in Swaziland I had the opportunity of going to an opening night for a exhibition at Yebo gallery. I must say that I was very impressed and very inspired by what I saw. The exhibition was basically showcasing art work by local designers using recycled stuff such as old furniture. If you are ever in Swaziland you should visit Yebo gallery you will be impressed. A lot of the pieces I saw where for sale at reasonable prices. I loved this particular exhibition and Yebo itself because of what it represents : encouraging local enterprise through art. People often underestimate the power or creativity and what it can do for not just the economy but also how people see themselves.

The theme / dress code was creative / artistic or traditional. I chose to be as creative as my vacation wardrobe allowed me to be.

me, bestie and the US ambassador Makila James

Me ala bestie bunny joe ( her real name is Khetiwe) 

Me and Khulekani

 I really enjoyed myself as I got to meet some amazing people with great vision and interesting ideas. My personal highlights include meeting the ambassador of the United States to Swaziland. She was a vivacious and interesting woman and she loved everything me and my friend had to say about creativity and our personal projects. My second highlight was finally meeting Swaziland's best fashion designer Khulekani Msweli of Jerem Paul. He was lovely and we connected instantly. The third highlight was meeting the owner and curator of the gallery Aleta Armstrong whom we got to have an extensive and interesting chat with; she introduced us to some important people which was great. The best highlight was spending time with one of my best friends, she invited me to share this experience with her and I can honestly say it was life changing.

I will leave a link to the Yebo galley's page here. All their art work is for sale.

Love and light

Tiwi